BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0001] One or more embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus capable of forming an
image on a recording medium and a cartridge that is attached to or detached from the
image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] An image forming apparatus using electrophotography prints an image on a recording
medium by supplying toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor
to form a visible toner image on the photoreceptor, transferring the visible toner
image to the recording medium, and fusing the transferred visible toner image on the
recording medium.
[0003] A process cartridge is an assembly of components for forming a visible toner image,
and is a consumable product that is detachable from a main body of an image forming
apparatus and replaceable after a life is ended. A process cartridge may have various
structures such as a structure in which a photoreceptor, a development roller that
supplies toner to the photoreceptor, and a container portion containing toner are
integrally formed, a structure divided into an image cartridge including a photoreceptor
and a development roller and a toner cartridge containing toner, or a structure divided
into a photoreceptor cartridge including a photoreceptor, a development cartridge
including a development roller, and a toner cartridge containing toner.
[0004] A cartridge includes a memory unit in which various types of information about the
cartridge are stored. When the cartridge is mounted in a main body of an image forming
apparatus, the memory unit is electrically connected to the main body to communicate
with the main body and may transmit information about the cartridge to the main body.
The memory unit includes a contact portion that is electrically connected to a connection
portion of the main body.
[0005] JP 2004 061596 A and
US 2008/240776 A1 disclose cartridges with memory contacts that are movable to a position that protrudes
out of the cartridge.
US 2007/059018 A1 discloses a cartridge with a developer electrode that can be retracted and protruded
from the cartridge..
SUMMARY
[0006] According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus as set forth in
the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent
claims, and the description which follows.
[0007] One or more embodiments include a cartridge capable of preventing pollution of a
contact portion of a memory unit included in the cartridge and an image forming apparatus
using the cartridge.
[0008] One or more embodiments include a cartridge capable of preventing damage to a contact
portion of a memory unit and an image forming apparatus using the cartridge.
[0009] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and,
in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
presented embodiments.
[0010] According to one or more embodiments, a cartridge is provided in accordance with
appended claim 1.
[0011] According to one or more embodiments, an image forming apparatus may include: a main
body; and a cartridge described above that is attached to or detached from the main
body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from
the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus
according to an embodiment;
FIG. 2A is a diagram of an arrangement of a photoconductive drum and a development
roller in a contact development method;
FIG. 2B is a diagram of an arrangement of a photoconductive drum and a development
roller in a non-contact development method;
FIG. 3A illustrates replacement of a process cartridge;
FIG. 3B illustrates replacement of a toner cartridge;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an image forming apparatus according to an example, illustrating
a connection structure between a memory unit and a main body;
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a toner cartridge having a movement structure for
moving a contact portion to first or second position via manual manipulation, wherein
the contact portion is located at the first position;
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a toner cartridge having a movement structure for
moving a contact portion to first or second position via manual manipulation, wherein
the contact portion is located at the second position;
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 7 is a rear view of a toner cartridge having a movement structure, in which a
circuit portion of a memory unit is located at a fixed location and a contact portion
is moved to first or second position, according to an example;
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment;
FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 according
to an embodiment, wherein a protection member is located at a retreat position;
FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 according
to an embodiment, wherein a protection member is located at a protruding position;
FIG. 10A is a plan view illustrating the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 mounted
in the main body, wherein a contact portion and a protection member are respectively
located at a first location and a retreat location;
FIG. 10B is a plan view illustrating the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 mounted
in the main body, wherein a contact portion and a protection member are respectively
moved to a second location and a protruding location;
FIG. 10C is a plan view illustrating the toner cartridge illustrated in FIG. 8 mounted
in the main body, wherein a contact portion and a protection member are respectively
located at a second location and a protruding location;
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge in which a slidable knob
is included, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view illustrating an image forming apparatus including
a connection error prevention structure, according to an embodiment;
FIGS. 13A and 14A illustrate a position relationship between a knob and an interference
portion when a contact portion is located at a first position;
FIGS. 13B and 14B illustrate a position relationship between a knob and an interference
portion when a contact portion is located at a second position;
FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic perspective views illustrating a toner cartridge having
a structure in which a contact portion is moved to first or second position in connection
with a handle, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 16A is a partial perspective view illustrating a toner cartridge according to
an embodiment;
FIG. 16B is a schematic lateral structural diagram of the toner cartridge having a
structure in which a contact portion is moved to first or second position in connection
with a handle, wherein the handle is located at a holding position;
FIG. 16C is a schematic lateral structural diagram of the toner cartridge having a
structure in which a contact portion is moved to first or second position in connection
with a handle, wherein the handle is located at a first accommodation position;
FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment;
FIG. 17B is a schematic lateral view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 17A, wherein a
handle is located at a second accommodation position;
FIG. 17C is a schematic lateral view of the toner cartridge of FIG. 17A, wherein a
handle is located at a holding position;
FIG. 17D is an exploded perspective view illustrating a connection relationship between
a pivot shaft of a handle and a pinion, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 17E is a plan view illustrating a connection relationship between a pivot shaft
of a handle and a pinion, according to an embodiment;
FIG. 18 is a schematic rear view of a toner cartridge according to an embodiment;
FIG. 19A is a schematic plan view of a movement structure of a connection portion
according to an example, wherein the connection portion is located at a release position
released from a contact portion;
FIG. 19B is a schematic plan view of a movement structure of a connection portion
according to an example, wherein the connection portion is located at a connection
position connected to the contact portion;
FIG. 20A is a schematic view of a structure in which a connection portion is moved
to a connection position via a closing operation of a door according to an example,
wherein the connection portion is located at a release position released from a contact
portion; and
FIG. 20B is a schematic view of a structure in which a connection portion is moved
to a connection portion via a closing operation of a door according to an example,
wherein the connection portion is located at a connection position connected to the
contact portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated
in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements
throughout. In this regard, the embodiments may have different forms and should not
be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the
embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects
of the present description. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all
combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at
least one of," when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements
and do not modify the individual elements of the list.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrophotographic image forming
apparatus according to an embodiment.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a main body 1 and a process cartridge 2 are shown. The main
body 1 includes an opening 11 providing a passage for the process cartridge 2 to be
mounted or removed. A cover 12 closes or opens the opening 11. The main body 1 includes
an exposure unit 13, a transfer roller 14, and a fusing unit 15. Also, the main body
1 includes a recording medium transfer structure for loading and transferring a recording
medium P where an image is to be formed.
[0016] The process cartridge 2 may include a toner containing unit 101, a photoconductive
drum 21, on a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a development
roller 22 that receives toner from the toner containing unit 101 to supply the toner
to the electrostatic latent image so as to develop the electrostatic latent image
to a visible toner image.
[0017] The photoconductive drum 21 is an example of a photoreceptor, wherein an electrostatic
latent image is formed on a surface thereof, and may include a conductive metal pipe
and a photosensitive layer around the conductive metal pipe. A charging roller 23
is an example of a charger for charging the photoconductive drum 21 to have uniform
surface potential. A charging brush or a corona charger may be used instead of the
charging roller 23. A reference numeral 24 denotes a cleaning roller for removing
foreign materials on a surface of the charging roller 23. A cleaning blade 25 is an
example of a cleaning unit for removing toner and foreign materials on a surface of
the photoconductive drum 21 after a transfer process which is described later. A cleaning
apparatus having another shape, such as a rotating brush, may be used instead of the
cleaning blade 25.
[0018] Examples of a development method include a one-component development method in which
toner is used and a two-component development method in which toner and a carrier
are used. The process cartridge 2 according to the current embodiment uses a one-component
development method. The development roller 22 is used to supply toner to the photosensitive
drum 21. A development bias voltage thereby to supply toner to the photosensitive
drum 21 may be applied to the development roller 22. The one-component development
method may be classified into a contact development method, wherein the development
roller 22 and the photoconductive drum 21 are rotated while contacting each other,
and a non-contact development method, wherein the development roller 22 and the photoconductive
drum 21 are rotated by being spaced apart from each other by dozens to hundreds of
microns. FIG. 2A is a diagram of an arrangement of the photoconductive drum 21 and
the development roller 22 in the contact development method, and FIG. 2B is a diagram
of an arrangement of the photoconductive drum 21 and the development roller 22 in
the non-contact development method. Referring to FIG. 2A, in the contact development
method, a gap maintaining member 22-2a having a smaller diameter than the development
roller 22 may be provided on each of both ends of a rotation shaft 22-1 of the development
roller 22. A contact amount of the development roller 22 to the photoconductive drum
21 is constrained as the gap maintaining member 22-2a contacts the surface of the
photoconductive drum 21. A development nip N is formed as the development roller 22
contacts the photoconductive drum 21. Referring to FIG. 2B, in the non-contact development
method, a gap maintaining member 22-2b having a larger diameter than the development
roller 22 may be provided on each of the both ends of the rotation shaft 22-1 of the
development roller 22. A development gap g between the development roller 22 and the
photoconductive drum 21 is constrained as the gap maintaining member 22-2b contacts
the surface of the photoconductive drum 21.
[0019] A regulator 26 constrains an amount of toner supplied by the development roller 22
to a development region where the photoconductive drum 21 and the development roller
22 face each other. The regulator 26 may be a doctor blade elastically contacting
a surface of the development roller 22. A supply roller 27 supplies toner in the process
cartridge 2 to a surface of the development roller 22. To this end, a supply bias
voltage may be applied to the supply roller 27.
[0020] When a two-component development method is used, the development roller 22 is spaced
apart from the photoconductive drum 21 by dozens to hundreds of microns. Although
not illustrated in the drawings, the development roller 22 may have a structure in
which a magnetic roller is disposed in a hollow cylindrical sleeve. The toner is adhered
to a surface of a magnetic carrier. The magnetic carrier is adhered to the surface
of the development roller 22 to be transferred to the development region where the
photoconductive drum 21 and the development roller 22 face each other. Only the toner
is supplied to the photoconductive drum 21 according to the development bias voltage
applied between the development roller 22 and the photoconductive drum 21, and thus
the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductive drum 21
is developed into the visible toner image. The process cartridge 2 may include an
agitator (not shown) for mixing and stirring the toner and a carrier and transporting
the mixture to the development roller 22. The agitator may be an auger, and a plurality
of the agitators may be prepared in the process cartridge 2.
[0021] The exposure unit 13 forms the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive
drum 21 by irradiating light modulated according to image information to the photoconductive
drum 21. The exposure unit 13 may be a laser scanning unit (LSU) using a laser diode
as a light source, or a light-emitting diode (LED) exposure unit using an LED as a
light source.
[0022] The transfer roller 14 is an example of a transfer unit for transferring a toner
image from the photoconductive drum 21 to the recording medium P. A transfer bias
voltage for transferring the toner image to the recording medium P is applied to the
transfer roller 14. A corona transfer unit or a transfer unit using a pin scorotron
method may be used instead of the transfer roller 14.
[0023] The recording media P are picked up one by one from a loading table 17 by a pickup
roller 16, and are transferred by feed rollers 18-1 and 18-2 to a region where the
photoconductive drum 21 and the transfer roller 14 face each other.
[0024] The fusing unit 15 applies heat and pressure to an image transferred to the recording
medium P so as to fuse the image on the recording medium P. The recording medium P
that passed through the fusing unit 15 is discharged outside the main body 1 by a
discharge roller 19.
[0025] According to the above structure, the exposure unit 13 irradiates the light modulated
according to the image information to the photoconductive drum 21 to develop the electrostatic
latent image. The development roller 22 supplies the toner to the electrostatic latent
image to form the visible toner image on the surface of the photoconductive drum 21.
The recording medium P loaded in the loading table 17 is transferred to the region
where the photoconductive drum 21 and the transfer roller 14 face each other by the
pickup roller 16 and the feed rollers 18-1 and 18-2, and the toner image is transferred
on the recording medium P from the photoconductive drum 21 according to the transfer
bias voltage applied to the transfer roller 14. After the recording medium P passes
through the fusing unit 15, the toner image is fused on the recording medium P according
to heat and pressure. After the fusing, the recording medium P is discharged by the
discharge roller 19.
[0026] The process cartridge 2 may have a first structure divided into an imaging cartridge
400 including the photoconductive drum 21 and the development roller 22 and a toner
cartridge 100 including the toner containing unit 101, a second structure divided
into a photoreceptor cartridge 200 including the photoconductive drum 21, a development
cartridge 300 including the development roller 22, and a toner cartridge 100 including
the toner containing unit 101, a third structure divided into a photoreceptor cartridge
200 and a development cartridge 300 including the toner containing unit 101, or a
fourth structure in which a photoreceptor cartridge 200, a development cartridge 300,
and a toner cartridge 100 are integrally formed with one another.
[0027] In the process cartridge 2 having the first structure (or the second structure),
when the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in a main body 1, the toner cartridge 100
is connected to the imaging cartridge 400 (or the development cartridge 300). For
example, when the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1, a toner discharging
unit 102 of the toner cartridge 100 and a toner inlet portion 301 of the imaging cartridge
400 (or the development cartridge 300) are connected to each other.
[0028] The process cartridge 2 is a consumable product that is replaced after its life is
expired. The process cartridge 2 is attached to or detached from the main body 1 via
the opening portion 11. In the case of the process cartridge 2 having the fourth structure,
when toner contained in the toner containing unit 101 is consumed completely, the
process cartridge 2 as a whole is replaced as illustrated in FIG. 3A. In general,
the life of the imaging cartridge 400 is longer than the life of the toner cartridge
100. By using he process cartridge 2 having the first structure, the second structure
or the third structure, the toner cartridge 100 or the development cartridge 300 in
which the toner cartridge 100 or the toner containing unit 101 is integrally formed
may be individually replaced as illustrated in FIG. 3B, and thus, costs for replacement
of consumables may be reduced. The process cartridge 2 according to the current embodiment
of the present invention has the first structure. Referring to FIG. 3B, a guide rail
30 that guides the toner cartridge 100 is included in the main body 1, and a guide
protrusion 100-30 which is inserted into the guide rail 30 may be formed on the toner
cartridge 100.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the image forming apparatus according to an example.
Referring to FIG. 4, the memory unit 110 is included in the toner cartridge 100. When
the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1, the memory unit 110 is electrically
connected to the main body 1 to transmit information of the toner cartridge 100 to
the main body 1. The main body 1 may determine whether the toner cartridge 100 is
mounted, by determining whether the memory unit 110 is electrically connected to the
main body 1, for example, by determining whether communication with the memory unit
110 is possible or not.
[0030] The memory unit 110 may include a circuit unit 111 to monitor or manage a state of
the toner cartridge 100 and a contact portion 112 via which the memory unit 110 is
connected to the main body 1. The circuit unit 111 may include a customer replaceable
unit monitor (CRUM) unit including a central processing unit (CPU) that performs at
least one of authentication and/or coding of data communication with respect to the
main body 1 by using, for example, an operating system (OS) included in the circuit
unit 111. The circuit unit 111 may further include a memory. The memory may store
various types of information about the toner cartridge 100. For example, specific
information such as manufacturer information, manufacture date information, a serial
number, or a model number, various programs, electronic signature information, and
usage state (for example, a number of pages printed so far, a number of remaining
printable pages, or an amount of toner left). Also, the memory may store even the
lifetime or setup menus of the toner cartridge 100. In addition, the circuit unit
111 may include a functional block capable of performing various functions for communication,
authentication, or coding. The circuit unit 111 may be in the form of a chip including
a CPU, a chip including a memory and a CPU, or a printed circuit board on which chips
and circuit elements for implementing various functional blocks are mounted.
[0031] The contact portion 112 may be integrally formed with the printed circuit board of
the circuit unit 111, or may be connected to the circuit unit 111 via a signal line
113 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The contact portion 112 may be, for example, a modular
jack. A connection portion 40 that is connected to the contact portion 112 is included
in the main body 1. The connection portion 40 may be in the form of a modular connector
into which the contact portion 112 in the form of a modular jack is inserted. Also,
the contact portion 112 may be in the form of a conductive pattern. The contact portion
112 in the form of a conductive pattern may be formed on a circuit board which is
not shown, or may be integrally formed with a printed circuit board of the circuit
unit 111. The memory unit 110 is in the form of a package, in which the circuit unit
111 is included and from which the contact portion 112 is exposed to the outside,
and the contact portion 112 may be in the form of a conductive pattern and may be
exposed out of the package. In this case, the connection portion 40 may include a
pin type terminal that is electrically connectable to the contact portion 112 which
is in the form of a conductive pattern. Also, the contact portion 112 may be a pin
type terminal, and the connection portion 40 may be in the form of a conductive pattern
to which the pin type terminal is connected. Alternatively, the contact portion 112
and the connection portion 40 may have various forms whereby they may be electrically
connected to each other.
[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 4 by a dotted line, when the contact portion 112 is protruded
out of the toner cartridge 110, the contact portion 112 may be polluted or damaged
while handling the toner cartridge 100. Also, when mounting the toner cartridge 100
in the main body 1, the contact portion 112 may be damaged due to collision with the
main body 1. Damage to or pollution of the contact portion 112 may be the cause of
a contact defect between the contact portion 112 and the connection portion 40. To
solve this problem, the memory unit 110 includes the contact portion 112 that is movable
to a first position (a position illustrated in FIG. 4 by a solid line) that is hidden
inside the toner cartridge 100 and a second position (a position illustrated in FIG.
4 by a dotted line) that is protruded from the toner cartridge 100. When the toner
cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1, the contact portion 112 is moved to the
second position at which the contact portion 112 is electrically connected to the
connection portion 40 included in the main body 1, and before the toner cartridge
100 is detached from the main body 1, the contact portion 112 is moved to the first
position where electrical connection between the contact portion 112 and the connection
portion 40 is terminated. A protruding direction of the contact portion 112 at the
second position is not limited. The contact portion 112 may be protruded in various
directions, for example, to a side portion 100-2, an upper portion, a lower portion,
a front portion, or a rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. Hereinafter,
an example will be described in which the contact portion 112 is moved in a length
direction of the toner cartridge 100 that is orthogonal to a mounting direction A,
so as to be protruded to the side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100.
[0033] The contact portion 112 may be moved to the first or second position via manual manipulation
of a user. FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of the toner cartridge 100 having
a movement structure for moving the contact portion 112 to the first or second position
via manual manipulation, according to an example. FIG. 5A illustrates the contact
portion 112 located at the first position, and FIG. 5B illustrates the contact portion
112 located at the second position. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the toner cartridge
100 of FIG. 5A.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, with respect to the mounting direction A, a knob 120
is formed at a rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. A first exit 103 through
which the contact portion 112 goes in and out is formed at the side portion 100-2
of the toner cartridge 100. When the contact portion 112 is located at the first position
as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the contact portion 112 is accommodated inside the toner
cartridge 100 and is not exposed through the first exit 103. In this state, as illustrated
in FIG. 3, a door 12 is opened and the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main
body 1 through the opening portion 11 of the main body 1. Next, the knob 120 is accessed
via the opening portion 11 of the main body 1 to rotate the knob 120 to move the contact
portion 112 to the second position as illustrated in FIG. 5B. Then the contact portion
112 is protruded from the side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100 through the
exit 103, and as illustrated in FIG. 4 by a dotted line, the contact portion 112 is
coupled to the connection portion 40 of the main body 1 so as to electrically connect
the memory unit 110 and the main body 1.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 6, a moving member 130 is slidably installed in the toner cartridge
100. The moving member 130 is slidably installed in an inner portion of a rear cover
104 that is coupled to the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. The contact
portion 112 is fixed to the moving member 130 and is connected to the circuit unit
111 via the signal line 113. The knob 120 is connected to the moving member 130 via
a conversion unit. Rotation of the knob 120 is converted into a linear sliding movement
of the moving member 130 via the conversion unit. For example, the conversion unit
may be realized by a pinion 140 and a rack gear 131. The rack gear 131 is formed on
the moving member 130. The pinion 140 is installed in the inner portion of the rear
cover 104 to be engaged with the rack gear 131. The knob 120 is inserted into an installation
hole 104-1 formed in the rear cover 104 to be connected to the pinion 140.
[0036] According to the above structure, when the knob 120 is rotated, rotation of the knob
120 is converted into linear movement of the moving member 130 via the pinion 140
and the rack gear 131, and the contact portion 112 is moved to the first position
which is hidden inside the toner cartridge 100 illustrated in FIG. 5A and the second
position protruding from the side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100 as illustrated
in FIG. 5B. A movement direction of the contact portion 112 is determined according
to a structure of the conversion unit. For example, a first bevel gear (not shown)
may be used as the pinion 140, and a second bevel gear (not shown) that is engaged
with the pinion 140 and a spur gear (not shown) that is coaxial to the second bevel
gear may be disposed between the rack gear 131 and the pinion 140 so that the spur
gear and the rack gear 131 are engaged with each other. The conversion unit having
the above-described structure may be implemented by referring to FIG. 18 which will
be described later. By using the conversion structure having the above-described structure,
the moving member 130 may be moved in a width direction or a height direction of the
toner cartridge 100, and the contact portion 112 may protrude from a front portion
or upper portion of the toner cartridge 100 to be located at the second position.
[0037] The knob 120 is located at a position facing the opening portion 11 when the toner
cartridge 100 is mounted to the main body 1 so that a user may easily access the knob
120 via the opening portion 11 that is opened via the door 12 when the toner cartridge
100 is attached to or detached from the main body 1. For example, the knob 120 may
be located at the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100 with respect to the
mounting direction A of the toner cartridge 100. A handle 150 may be formed at the
toner cartridge 100 for the user to hold the toner cartridge 100 in an attaching or
detaching operation, and the knob 120 may be disposed adjacent to the handle 150.
Accordingly, when the user attaches or detaches the toner cartridge 100, the user
may easily recognize and manipulate the knob 120.
[0038] According to the example of FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6, the circuit unit 111 is mounted
on the moving member 130 and is moved with the contact portion 112. According to the
above structure, while the contact portion 112 is being moved to the first or second
position, relative positions of the contact portion 112 and the circuit unit 111 are
not changed, and thus, a possibility of a short circuit of the signal line 113 with
respect to the contact portion 112 and the circuit unit 111 may be significantly reduced.
For example, the contact portion 112 may be integrally formed with the circuit unit
111 and the signal line 113 may be omitted. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG.
7, the circuit unit 111 may be fixed to the rear cover 104 or the toner cartridge
100 and just the contact portion 112 may be installed in the moving member 130. In
this case, a wire holder 104-2 that is formed on the rear cover 104 and supports the
signal line 113 may be located at an intermediate position of a stroke S when the
contact portion 112 is moved to the first or second position. Accordingly, while the
contact portion 112 is being moved, a variation in a length of the signal line 113
between the contact portion 112 and the circuit unit 111 may be minimized to thereby
reduce the danger of a short circuit between the signal line 113 and the contact portion
112 or the circuit unit 111.
[0039] The toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1 while the contact portion 112
is located at the first position (FIG. 5A). After the toner cartridge 100 is mounted
in the main body 1, the contact portion 112 is moved to the second position (FIG.
5B) to be connected to the connection portion 40 of the main body 1. Also, in order
to detach the toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1, first, the contact portion
112 is to be returned to the first position to release connection with respect to
the connection portion 40, and then the toner cartridge 100 is to be detached from
the main body 1. If the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1 while the
contact portion 112 is located at the second position, the contact portion 112 may
collide with the main body 1 or the connection portion 40 and the contact portion
112 may be damaged. Also, if the toner cartridge 100 is detached from the main body
1 while the contact portion 112 is located at the second position, the connection
portion 40 or the contact portion 112 may be damaged.
[0040] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge 100 according to an
embodiment. FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the toner cartridge 100, wherein a protection
member 132 is located at a retreat position. FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the
toner cartridge 100, wherein the protection member 132 is located at a protruding
position. FIG. 10A is a plan view illustrating the toner cartridge 100 mounted in
the main body 1, wherein the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are
respectively located at the first position and the retreat position. FIG. 10B is a
plan view illustrating the toner cartridge 100 mounted in the main body 1, wherein
the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively moved to the
second position and the protruding position. FIG. 10C is a plan view illustrating
the toner cartridge 100 mounted in the main body 1, wherein the contact portion 112
and the protection member 132 are respectively located at the second position and
the protruding position.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 8, the protection member 132 that prevents collision between the
contact portion 112 and the main body 1 or the connection portion 40 is illustrated.
The protection member 132 is moved together with the contact portion 112 via manipulation
of the knob 120. That is, the protection member 132 has a retreat position which is
hidden inside the toner cartridge 100 and a protruding position protruding from the
toner cartridge 100. For example, the protection member 132 may be integrally formed
with the moving member 130.
[0042] According to the above structure, when the contact portion 112 is located at the
first position as illustrated in FIG. 9A, the protection member 132 is located at
the retreat position which is accommodated in the toner cartridge 100. When the contact
portion 112 is located at the second position as illustrated in FIG. 9B as the knob
120 rotates, the protection member 132 is located at the protruding position protruding
from the side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100 via a second exit 105.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 9B and 10A, with respect to the mounting direction A, the protection
member 132 is located before the contact portion 112. That is, a forefront surface
132-1 of the protection member 132 in the mounting direction A is located before a
forefront surface 112-1 of the contact portion 112 in the mounting direction A. According
to the above structure, when the contact portion 112 is located at the second position,
the protection member 132 is located at the protruding position. When mounting the
toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1 while the contact portion 112 is located at
the second position, the protection member 132 first contacts the main body 1 or the
connection portion 40 before the contact portion 112 contacts the main body 1 or the
connection portion 40. Accordingly, collision between the contact portion 112 and
the main body 1 or the connection portion 40 during a mounting operation may be prevented.
[0044] The toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1 as illustrated in FIG. 10A
while the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively located
at the first position and the retreat position. When the knob 120 is rotated in this
state, the moving member 130 slides, and the contact portion 112 and the protection
member 132 slide together respectively to the second position and the protruding position.
An insertion portion 50 into which the protection member 132 is inserted is formed
in the main body 1.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 10B, the protection member 132 protrudes further than the contact
portion 112 in a direction to slide to the protruding position. That is, a front end
portion 132a of the protection member 132 protrudes further than the front end portion
112a of the contact portion 120 in the protruding direction. Although not shown in
the drawing, the insertion portion 50 may be closer to the side portion 100-2 of the
toner cartridge 100 than the connection portion 40. While the contact portion 112
and the connection portion 40 are not completely aligned, that is, while the toner
cartridge 100 is not completely inserted, if the contact portion 112 is inserted into
the connection portion 40, the contact portion 112 may collide with the connection
portion 40 and be damaged. According to the current embodiment, the protection member
132 may be inserted into the insertion portion 50 before the contact portion 112 is
inserted into the connection portion 40, thereby aligning the contact portion 112
and the connection portion 40. Consequently, possibility of damage to the contact
portion 112 during insertion into the connection portion 40 may be reduced. When the
knob 120 is completely rotated, the contact portion 112 is located at the second position
where it is inserted into the connection portion 40, as illustrated in FIG. 10C, and
the protection member 132 is located at the protruding position where it is inserted
into the insertion portion 50.
[0046] When the toner cartridge 100 is to be detached from the main body 1 in a state as
illustrated in FIG. 10C, as the contact portion 112 is inserted into the connection
portion 40, a force may be applied to the contact portion 112. According to the current
embodiment of the present invention, as the protection member 132 is also inserted
into the insertion portion 50, the force applied to the contact portion 112 is dispersed
via the protection member 132. Accordingly, a possibility of damage to the contact
portion 112 may be reduced.
[0047] As described above, as the protection member 132 is included, a possibility of damage
to the contact portion 112 during a mounting or detaching operation of the toner cartridge
100 may be reduced.
[0048] While a structure in which the knob 120 that is rotatable is used to move the contact
portion 112 to the first or second position is described in the above-described embodiments,
the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. A structure in which
a knob 120-1 (FIG. 11) that is slidable may also be used to move the contact portion
112 to the first or second position. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the
toner cartridge 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toner
cartridge 100 of FIG. 11 is different from the toner cartridge 100 illustrated in
FIG. 8 in that the knob 120-1 that is slidable is included.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 11, a moving member 130-1 is slidably installed in the toner cartridge
100. For example, the moving member 130-1 is slidably installed in an inner portion
of a rear cover 104a. The contact portion 112 is fixed to the moving member 130-1
and is connected to the circuit unit 111 via the signal line 113. The circuit unit
111 is fixed to the moving member 103-1 and may be moved together with the contact
portion 112. The protection member 132 may be integrally formed with the moving member
130-1. A coupling piece 133 protruding toward the rear cover 104a is formed on the
moving member 130-1. The knob 120-1 includes a coupling portion 122 in which a groove
121 is formed. A slot 104-3 that is formed by cutting such that the knob 120-1 may
slide therein is formed in the rear cover 104a. The coupling portion 122 is inserted
into the slot 104-3 from the outside of the rear cover 104a, and the coupling piece
133 is coupled to the groove 121 of the coupling portion 122. According to this structure,
by sliding the knob 120-1 along the slot 104-3, the contact portion 112 may be moved
to the first or second position. A sliding direction of the knob 120-1 may be the
same as a moving direction of the contact portion 112.
[0050] As described above, after mounting the toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1, the
knob 120 or 120-1 is manipulated to move the contact portion 112 to the second position
to thereby connect the memory unit 110 to the main body 1. Then the door 12 is closed.
After mounting the toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1, if the door 12 is closed
while the contact portion 112 is not moved to the second position, the memory unit
110 and the main body 1 are not connected. According to the image forming apparatus
of the current embodiment of the present invention, the door 12 is not closed unless
the contact portion 112 is converted to the second position, thereby preventing a
connection error between the toner cartridge 100 and the main body 1. In order to
prevent a connection error, for example, interference between the knob 120 or 120-1
and the door 12 may be used. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view illustrating an image
forming apparatus including a connection error prevention structure, according to
an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13A illustrates a position relationship
between the knob 120 and an interference portion 12-1 when the contact portion 112
is located at the first position. FIG. 13B illustrates a position relationship between
the knob 120 and the interference portion 12-1 when the contact portion 112 is located
at the second position. Referring to FIG. 12, the interference portion 12-1 protruding
toward the knob 120 is formed on the door 12. When the contact portion 112 is located
at the first position, the knob 120 is located at a position where the knob 120 interferes
with the interference portion 12-1 as illustrated in FIG. 13A. Also, when the contact
portion 112 is located at the second position, the knob 120 is located at a position
where the knob 120 does not interfere with the interference portion 12-1 as illustrated
in FIG. 13B. Accordingly, if the door 12 is closed while the toner cartridge 100 is
mounted in the main body 1 and the contact portion 112 is located at the first position,
the interference portion 12-1 interferes with the knob 120 so that the door 12 is
not closed.
[0051] The structures illustrated in FIGS. 12, 13A, and 13B may also be applied to the toner
cartridge 100 including the knob 120-1 that is slidable, as illustrated in FIG. 11.
For example, when the contact portion 112 is located at the first position, the interference
portion 12-1 interferes with the knob 120-1 as illustrated in FIG. 14A, and when the
contact portion 112 is located at the second position, the knob 120-1 is located at
a position where the knob 120-1 does not interfere with the interference portion 12-1
as illustrated in FIG. 14B.
[0052] The handle 150 may be formed at the toner cartridge 100 for a user to hold during
an attaching or detaching operation of the toner cartridge 100 to or from the main
body 1. The contact portion 112 may be moved to the first or second position in connection
with the handle 150. FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic perspective views illustrating
the toner cartridge 100 having a structure in which the contact portion 112 is moved
to the first or second position in connection with the handle 150, according to an
embodiment. The structures for moving the contact portion 112 and the protection member
132 illustrated in FIGS. 15A and 15B are the same as the structure illustrated in
FIG. 11. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the contact portion 112 is installed
at the moving member 130-1, and the protection member132 is integrally formed with
the moving member 130-1. A knob 120-2 is the same as the knob 120-1 illustrated in
FIG. 11 except that the knob 120-2 includes an inclination guide groove 120-4.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, the handle 150 is pivotably installed at the rear
portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. The handle 150 may be disposed, for example,
at a holding position protruding from the toner cartridge 100 to hold the toner cartridge
100 as illustrated in FIG. 15A, and may be pivoted from the holding position to an
accommodation position that is close to the toner cartridge 100 as illustrated in
FIG. 15B. A pivoting direction of the handle 150 may be, for example, the mounting
direction A of the toner cartridge 100. A pivoting movement of the handle 150 is converted
into sliding movement of the moving member 130-1 by using a conversion unit. The conversion
unit may be formed of, for example, the inclination guide groove 120-4 formed in the
moving member 130-1 and a connection member 160 that connects the inclination guide
groove 120-4 and the handle 150. The inclination guide groove 120-4 is inclined with
respect to a moving direction of the contact portion 112 and may be formed in the
knob 120-2. A guide post 161 that is inserted into the inclination guide groove 120-4
is formed at a first end of the connection member 160. A second end of the connection
member 160 is connected to the handle 150. As the handle 150 is pivotably installed
in the toner cartridge 100 in the mounting direction A, the connection member 160
and the handle 150 are pivotably connected to each other with respect to a pivot shaft
162 extending in the moving direction of the contact portion 112.
[0054] In order to mount the toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1, the handle 150 is pulled
in an opposite direction to the mounting direction A, that is, in a detaching direction
B as illustrated in FIG. 15A so as to locate the handle 150 at a holding position
that is separated from the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. When the
handle 150 pivots, the connection member 160 follows the handle 150 and is moved in
a direction away from the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100, that is,
in the detaching direction B. The guide post 161 is disposed at a first end portion
120-4a of the inclination guide groove 120-4, and the contact portion 112 and the
protection member 132 are respectively located at the first position and the retreat
position which are hidden inside the toner cartridge 100. In this state, the user
puts a hand into space between the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100 and
the handle 150 to lift the toner cartridge 100. The handle 150 is maintained at a
position separated from the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100, and the
contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively maintained at the
first position and the retreat position.
[0055] Next, the door 12 is opened to insert the toner cartridge 100 into the main body
1 through the opening portion 11 along the guide rail 100-30 (FIG. 1) formed on the
main body 1.
[0056] When insertion is completed, the handle 150 is pushed in the mounting direction A
to pivot the handle 150 toward the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100.
Then the connection member 160 is moved toward the rear portion 100-1 of the toner
cartridge 100, and the guide post 161 pushes an inner wall of the inclination guide
groove 120-4. Due to this pushing force, the knob 120-2 and the moving member 130-1
slide in a direction C1 in which the contact portion 112 is moved to the second position.
When the handle 150 reaches an accommodation position, the guide post 161 reaches
a second end portion 120-4b of the inclination guide groove 120-4, and the contact
portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively located at the second position
and the protruding position as illustrated in FIG. 15B.
[0057] When detaching the toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1, the door 12 is opened
to pull the handle 150 in the detaching direction B and locate the same at a holding
position. Then the connection member 160 is moved in a direction away from the rear
portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100, and in this operation, the guide post 161
is moved from the second end portion 120-4b to the first end portion 120-4a while
pulling the inner wall of the inclination guide groove 120-4. Accordingly, the knob
120-2 and the moving member 130-1 are slid in a direction C2 in which the contact
portion 112 is moved to the first position. When the handle 150 reaches the holding
position, as illustrated in FIG. 15A, the contact portion 112 and the protection member
132 are respectively returned to the first position and the retreat position. In this
state, the user puts a hand into space between the toner cartridge 100 and the handle
150 to hold the handle 150 and pull the toner cartridge 100 to thereby detach the
toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1.
[0058] According to the above structure, by holding the handle 150 and detaching or mounting
the toner cartridge 100, the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 may
be respectively moved to the first or second position and the retreat position or
protruding position.
[0059] FIG. 16A is a partial perspective view illustrating the toner cartridge 100 according
to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 16A, a handle 150-1 is provided in the toner cartridge
100. The handle 150-1 is pivotably installed on the toner cartridge 100. The handle
150-1 may be disposed, for example, at a holding position protruded from the toner
cartridge 100 in order to hold the toner cartridge 100 as illustrated by a solid line.
Also, the handle 150-1 may pivot from the holding position to a first accommodation
position that is close to the toner cartridge 100 as illustrated by a dotted line.
An accommodation portion 100-1a that is inwardly dented to accommodate the handle
150-1 located at the first accommodation position may be formed in the toner cartridge
100. The handle 150-1 is disposed to face the opening portion 11 so that a user may
easily access the handle 150-1 while the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main
body 1. According to the current embodiment, the handle 150-1 is pivotably installed
at the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. Also, the accommodation portion
100-1a is inwardly dented in the rear portion 100-1. The contact portion 112 may be
moved to the first or second position in connection with pivoting of the handle 150-1
to the holding position and the first accommodation position.
[0060] FIGS. 16B and 16C are schematic lateral structural diagrams of a structure in which
the contact portion 112 is moved to the first or second position in connection with
the handle 150-1, wherein the handle 150-1 is located at the holding position and
the first accommodation position. According to the current embodiment, the contact
portion 112 is moved in a height direction of the toner cartridge 100 that is orthogonal
to the mounting direction A so that the contact portion 112 is located at the second
position protruding from the upper portion 100-3 of the toner cartridge 100.
[0061] Referring to FIGS. 16B and 16C, the moving member 130-3 is slidably installed in
the toner cartridge 100 in a vertical direction. For example, guide pins 106 that
are vertically separated are disposed in the toner cartridge 100, and a guide slot
135 that is formed by cutting in a vertical direction such that the guide pin 106
may be inserted into the guide slot 135 may be formed. The contact portion 112 is
mounted in the moving member 130-3. A first outlet 103 through which the contact portion
112 moves in and out is formed on the upper portion 100-3 of the toner cartridge 100.
The protection member 132 may be integrally formed with the moving member 130-3, and
a second outlet 105 through which the protection member 112 moves in and out may be
further formed in the upper portion 100-3 of the toner cartridge 100. The connection
portion 40 and the insertion portion 50 are disposed above the toner cartridge 100.
[0062] The toner cartridge 100 includes a conversion unit that converts pivoting of the
handle 150-1 into sliding movement of the moving member 130-3. The conversion unit
may be formed of, for example, a pinion-rack gear structure. The conversion unit may
include at least one pinion, here, pinions 171 and 172, and a rack gear 136 that is
formed in the moving member 130-3 and is engaged with the pinion 172. While two pinions,
the pinions 171 and 172, are used in the current embodiment, the embodiments are not
limited thereby. The number of pinions is set in consideration of a pivoting direction
of the handle 150-1 so that the contact portion 112 is respectively located at the
first position and the second position when the handle 150-1 is located at the holding
position and the first accommodation position. For example, according to the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 16A through 16C, the handle 150-1 pivots anticlockwise to be
converted from the holding position to the first accommodation position. However,
alternatively, the handle 150-1 may also pivot clockwise to be converted from the
holding position to the first accommodation position. In this case, the pinion 172
is not necessary, and it is sufficient when the pinion 171 and the rack gear 136 engage
with each other. That is, the number of pinions may be an even number or an odd number
in consideration of a pivoting direction of the handle 150-1 and a sliding direction
of the moving member 130-3.
[0063] In order to mount the toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1, as illustrated in FIG.
16B, the handle 150-1 which is at the holding position is held to insert the toner
cartridge 100 into the main body 1 through the opening portion 11 along the guide
rail 30 (FIG. 3B) formed on the main body 1. While the handle 150-1 is located at
the holding position, the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively
located at the first position and the retreat position.
[0064] When insertion is completed, the handle 150-1 is pivoted to the first accommodation
position. Then the pinions 171 and 172 connected to the pivot shaft 151 are also rotated,
and rotation of the pinions 171 and 172 is converted into sliding movement via the
rack gear 136 and the moving member 130-3 slides in a direction D1. The contact portion
112 is protruded from the upper portion 100-3 of the toner cartridge 100 via the first
outlet 103 and is moved to the connection portion 40. The protection member 132 protrudes
from the upper portion 100-3 of the toner cartridge 100 through the second outlet
105 and is moved to the insertion portion 50.
[0065] A front end portion 132a of the protection member 132 is located further upwards
than the front end portion 112a of the contact portion 112, and thus, the protection
member 132 is inserted into the insertion portion 50 first so as to align the contact
portion 112 and the connection portion 40. Then the contact portion 112 is inserted
into the connection portion 40.
[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 16C, when the handle 150-1 is located at the first accommodation
position, the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively located
at the second position and the protruding position.
[0067] Next, an operation of detaching the toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1 will
be described. First, the door 12 is opened. The handle 150-1 is maintained at the
first accommodation position as illustrated in FIG. 16C, and the contact portion 112
and the protection member 132 are respectively maintained at the second position and
the protruding position. The handle 150-1 is pulled to be pivoted to the holding position.
Then the pinions 171 and 172 connected to the pivot shaft 151 are also rotated, and
rotation of the pinions 171 and 172 is converted into sliding movement via the rack
gear 136 and the moving member 130-3 slides in a direction D2. When the handle 150-1
is located at the holding position, the contact portion 112 and the protection member
132 respectively return to the first position and the retreat position as illustrated
in FIG. 16B. In this state, the handle 150-1 is held to pull the toner cartridge 100
to thereby detach the toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1.
[0068] When the toner cartridge 100 is separated from the main body 1, if the handle 150-1
is located at the holding position, an external appearance of the toner cartridge
100 is increased. When moving the handle 150-1 to the first accommodation position,
the external appearance of the toner cartridge 100 is reduced but the contact portion
112 protrudes and thus the contact portion 112 is likely to be damaged. Considering
this, a method of reducing the external appearance of the toner cartridge 100 in the
case when the toner cartridge 100 is separated from the main body 1 is required.
[0069] FIG. 17A is a perspective view of the toner cartridge 100 according to an embodiment,
and FIG. 17B is a schematic lateral view of the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 17A, wherein
the handle 150-1 is located at a second accommodation position. FIG. 17C is a schematic
lateral view of the toner cartridge 100 of FIG. 17A, wherein the handle 150-1 is located
at a holding position. FIGS. 17D and 17E are respectively an exploded perspective
view and a plan view illustrating a connection relationship between the pivot shaft
151 of the handle 150-1 and the pinion 171, according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 17A, the handle 150-1 is slid to the holding position (illustrated
by a dotted line) and the second accommodation position accommodated in the accommodation
portion 100-1a formed in the rear portion 100-1 of the toner cartridge 100. To this
end, referring to FIGS. 17B and 17C, a guide slot 107 is formed in the toner cartridge
100. The pivot shaft 151 is inserted into the guide slot 107 and slides along the
guide slot 107. According to the above structure, the handle 150-1 that moves to the
holding position and the second accommodation position may be realized.
[0071] The toner cartridge 100 illustrated in FIGS. 17A through 17E is identical to the
toner cartridge 100 illustrated in FIGS. 16A through 16C except that the handle 150-1
slides to the holding position and the second accommodation position. Accordingly,
movement of the contact portion 112 to the first and second position as the handle
150-1 is pivoted to the holding position and the first accommodation position will
be described with reference to FIGS. 16A through 16C.
[0072] The handle 150-1 may be pivoted from the holding position to the first accommodation
position illustrated in FIG. 16A. The pivot shaft 151 of the handle 150-1 is connected
to a conversion unit when the handle 150-1 is located at the holding position and
the first accommodation position, and is released from the conversion unit when the
handle 150-1 is located at the second accommodation position. For example, when the
handle 150-1 is located at the second accommodation position, connection between the
pinion 171 and the pivot shaft 151 is released, and the pinion 171 and the pivot shaft
151 may be connected to each other when the handle 150-1 is located at the holding
position. Accordingly, by moving the handle 150-1 to the holding position and the
first accommodation position as illustrated in FIGS. 16B and 16C, the contact portion
112 may be moved to the first or second position. Referring to FIGS. 17D and 17E,
first and second coupling portions 151a and 171b are formed at the pivot shaft 151
and the pinion 171, respectively. The first and second coupling portions 151a and
171b may have complementary forms such that the pinion 171 may also be pivoted when
the handle 150-1 is pivoted. For example, the first coupling portion 151a may be in
the form of an extension piece extending in a sliding direction of the handle 150-1,
and the second coupling portion 171b may be in the form of an extension groove that
is formed in a central shaft 171a of the pinion 171 by cutting such that the extension
piece may be inserted thereinto. According to the above structure, as illustrated
in FIG. 17E by a dotted line, when the handle 150-1 is located at the second accommodation
position, connection between the pivot shaft 151 and the pinion 171 is released, and
when the handle 150-1 slides to the holding position, the first coupling portion 151a
is inserted into the second coupling portion 171b so that the pivot shaft 151 and
the pinion 171 are connected to each other, and when the handle 150-1 is pivoted to
the first accommodation position, the pinion 171 is also rotated.
[0073] While being separated from the main body 1, the handle 150-1 is also located at the
second accommodation position as illustrated in FIG. 17A by a solid line. In this
state, connection between the pivot shaft 151 and the pinion 171 is released. The
contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively located at the
first position and the retreat position as illustrated in FIG. 16B.
[0074] To mount the toner cartridge 100 in the main body 1, the handle 150-1 is pulled to
be slid to the holding position as illustrated in FIG. 17A by a dotted line. When
the handle 150-1 reaches the holding position, the first coupling portion 151a formed
at the pivot shaft 151 is coupled to the second coupling portion 171b of the pinion
171 so that the pivot shaft 151 and the pinion 171 are connected to each other. The
contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively maintained at the
first position and the retreat position as illustrated in FIG. 16B.
[0075] In this state, as described above with reference to FIGS. 16B and 16C, when the toner
cartridge 100 is mounted on the main body 1 and the handle 150-1 is pushed to be pivoted
to the first accommodation position, the contact portion 112 and the protection member
132 are respectively moved to the second position and the protruding position via
pivoting of the handle 150-1, so as to be respectively inserted into the connection
portion 40 and the insertion portion 50.
[0076] An operation of detaching the toner cartridge 100 is also the same as described with
reference to FIGS. 16C and 16B. When detachment of the toner cartridge 100 is completed,
the handle 150-1 is pushed to be slid to the second accommodation position. Then the
first coupling portion 151a formed at the pivot shaft 151 is separated from the second
coupling portion 171b of the pinion 171, and connection between the pivot shaft 151
and the pinion 171 is released, and the contact portion 112 and the protection member
132 are respectively maintained at the first position and the retreat position. By
locating the handle 150-1 at the second accommodation position, the toner cartridge
100 may maintain a small external appearance when being separated from the main body
1. The toner cartridge 100 in the form as described above has a small size in a packed
state when it is provided as a consumable, and thus loading costs for transportation
may be reduced.
[0077] The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 16A through 16C and FIGS. 17A through 17E may
be modified to a structure in which the contact portion 112 is protruded from the
side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100. FIG. 18 is a schematic rear view of
the toner cartridge 100 according to an embodimen. According to the embodiment of
FIG. 18, the contact portion 112 is located at the second position protruding from
the side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100.
[0078] Referring to FIG. 18, the pinion 171 connected to the pivot shaft 151 of the handle
150-1 is a bevel gear. The pinion 172 connected to the pinion 171 includes a bevel
gear 172a and a spur gear 171b. The bevel gear 172a and the spur gear 171b have a
common rotation shaft 172c, and are separated from each other in a direction to the
rotation shaft 172c. The pinion 171 and the pinion 172 have rotation shafts that are
orthogonal to each other. According to the above structure, the pinion 171, the bevel
gear 172a, the spur gear 171b, and the rack gear 136 are sequentially connected, and
via rotation of the handle 150-1 from the holding position to the first accommodation
position (illustrated by a dotted line of FIG. 18), the moving member 130-3 may be
slid so that the contact portion 112 and the protection member 132 are respectively
located at the second position and the protruding position protruding from the side
portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100. While not illustrated in the drawing, the
moving member 130-3 may also slide in a direction in which the contact portion 112
and the protection member 132 are protruded from a front portion 100-4 of the toner
cartridge 100 according to an arrangement angle of the pinion 171, which is in the
form of a bevel gear, and the bevel gear 172a.
[0079] The embodiments in which the contact portion 112 is moved to the first or second
position in connection with manipulation of a knob or manipulation of the handle by
the user to detach the cartridge are described above, but the embodiments are not
limited thereto.
[0080] The contact portion 112 may also be moved to the first or second position via opening
or closing of the door 12. For example, the knob 120-1 illustrated in FIG. 11 may
be slid via an operation of closing and/or opening the door 12 to move the contact
portion 112 to the second position and/or the first position. The handle 150 illustrated
in FIGS. 15A and 15B is pivoted via the operation of closing and/or opening the door
12 to slide the knob 120-2 to move the contact portion 112 to the second position
and/or the first position. The handle 150-1 illustrated in FIGS. 16A and 17A is pivoted
via an operation of closing the door 12 to rotate the pinion 171, thereby moving the
contact portion 112 to the second position.
[0081] The contact portion 112 may also be moved to the first or second position via an
operation of mounting a cartridge to the main body 1. For example, the moving members
described above may be moved in connection with an operation member (not shown) formed
on the main body 1 when mounting a cartridge on the main body 1, and the contact portion
112 may be moved to the second position accordingly. In contrast, when the cartridge
is detached from the main body 1, the contact portion 112 may return to the first
position.
[0082] According to the above-described embodiment, the contact portion 112 is moved to
the first or second position. Alternatively, the contact portion 112 may be disposed
at a fixed position and instead the connection portion 40 may be moved.
[0083] FIGS. 19A and 19B are schematic plan views of a movement structure of the connection
portion 40 according to an example. FIG. 19A is a plan view illustrating the connection
portion 40 located at a release position released from the contact portion 112, and
FIG. 19B is a plan view illustrating the connection portion 40 located at a connection
position connected to the contact portion 112. Referring to FIGS. 19A and 19B, the
contact portion 112 is located in the toner cartridge 100. The contact portion 112
may be disposed not to be exposed out of the toner cartridge 100. An exit 103-1 through
which the connection portion 40 goes in and out may be formed, for example, at the
side portion 100-2 of the toner cartridge 100. A moving member 510 is movably installed
in the main body 1 in a direction orthogonal to the mounting direction A, for example,
in a width direction of the toner cartridge 100. The connection portion 40 is mounted
on the moving member 510. The moving member 510 is moved to the connection position
where the connection portion 40 is connected to the contact portion 112 and the release
position where the connection portion 40 is released from the contact portion 112.
To this end, the moving member 510 includes a knob 520. As illustrated in FIG. 19A,
while the door 12 is opened, the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1.
Here, the connection portion 40 is located at the release position. After mounting
the toner cartridge 100, the user holds the knob 520 to move the moving member 510
in a direction M1. Then, the connection portion 40 approaches the contact portion
112 disposed inside the toner cartridge 100 through the exit 103-1, and is located
at the connection position connected to the contact portion 112 as illustrated in
FIG. 19B. To detach the toner cartridge 100, the door 12 is opened in a state as illustrated
in FIG. 19B, and the moving member 510 is moved in a direction M2. Then the connection
portion 40 is released from the contact portion 112 to be moved to the release position
as illustrated in FIG. 19A. According to the above structure, the connection portion
40 may be moved to the connection position and the release position via manipulation
by the user.
[0084] Although the protection member 132 and the insertion portion 50 are not illustrated
in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the protection member 132 may be integrally formed with the
moving member 510, and the insertion portion 50, into which the protection member
132 is inserted, may be formed in the toner cartridge 100. In this case, the protection
member 132 may be inserted into the insertion portion 50 before the connection portion
40 is connected to the contact portion 112 so as to align the connection portion 40
and the contact portion 112; when the toner cartridge 100 is detached from the main
body 1 while the connection portion 40 is not moved to the release position, the protection
member 132 and the insertion portion 50 may perform the function of dispersing an
impact applied to the connection portion 40 and the contact portion 112 as described
above.
[0085] The connection portion 40 may also be moved to a connection position via an operation
of closing the door 12. FIGS. 20A and 20B are schematic plan views of a structure
of the connection portion 40 in connection with a closing operation of the door 12,
according to an example. FIG. 20A is a plan view illustrating the connection portion
40 located at a release position released from the contact portion 112, and FIG. 20B
is a plan view illustrating the connection portion 40 located at a connection position
connected to the contact portion 112. Referring to FIGS. 20A and 20B, a moving member
510-1 is different from the moving member 510 illustrated in FIGS. 19A and 19B in
that an inclination portion 530 inclined with respect to a moving direction of the
moving member 510-1 is further included. A push lever 12-9 that pushes the inclination
portion 530 by being in contacts with the inclination portion 530 when the door 12
is closed is formed on the door 12. According to the above structure, when the door
12 is closed after the toner cartridge 100 is mounted in the main body 1, the push
lever 12-9 pushes the inclination portion 530. Then the moving member 510-1 is moved
in the direction M1 as illustrated in FIG. 20B, and the connection portion 40 is moved
to the connection position connected to the contact portion 112. An elastic member
540 applies an elastic force to the moving member 510-1 so that the connection portion
40 is moved in a direction to be located at the release position. Upon opening the
door 12 to detach the toner cartridge 100 from the main body 1, the moving member
510-1 is moved in the direction M2 via the elastic force of the elastic member 540
as illustrated in FIG. 20A, and the connection portion 40 returns to the release position
released from the contact portion 112. If the elastic member 540 is not present, the
door 12 may be opened and the moving member 510-1 may be moved in the direction M2
by using the knob 520, and then the toner cartridge 100 may be detached from the main
body 1.
[0086] Above described are the embodiments in which the contact portion 112 of the memory
unit 110 installed in the toner cartridge 100 is moved to the first or second position
in a structure where the toner cartridge 100 is separately replaced from the image
cartridge 400, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.
[0087] The structure in which the contact portion 112 is moved to the first or second position
may also be applied to the process cartridge 2 having the third structure in which
the development cartridge 300 including the toner containing unit 101 is separately
replaced from the photoconductor cartridge 200. In this case, the toner cartridge
100 is replaced by the development cartridge 300 in the above-described embodiments.
When the development cartridge 300 is mounted in the main body 1, the memory unit
110 is electrically connected to the main body 1 to transmit information of the development
cartridge 300 to the main body 1. The memory unit 110 may store various types of information
of the development cartridge 300, for example, specific information such as manufacturer
information, manufacture date information, a serial number, or a model number, various
programs, electronic signature information, and usage state (for example, a number
of pages printed so far, a number of remaining printable pages, or an amount of toner
left), and even the lifetime and set up menus of the development cartridge 300.
[0088] Also, the structure in which the contact portion 112 is moved to the first or second
position may be applied to the process cartridge 2 having the fourth structure in
which the photoconductor cartridge 200, the development cartridge 300, and the toner
cartridge 100 are integrally formed. In this case, the toner cartridge 100 is replaced
by the process cartridge 2 in the above-described embodiments. When the process cartridge
2 is mounted in the main body 1, the memory unit 110 is electrically connected to
the main body 1 to transmit information of the process cartridge 2 to the main body
1. The memory unit 110 may store various types of information of the process cartridge
2, for example, specific information such as manufacturer information, manufacture
date information, a serial number, or a model number, various programs, electronic
signature information, and usage state (for example, a number of pages printed so
far, a number of remaining printable pages, or an amount of toner left), and even
the lifetime and set up menus of the process cartridge 2.
1. Kartusche (100), die an einem Hauptkörper (1) einer Bilderzeugungsvorrichtung anbringbar
oder von dieser lösbar ist, wobei der Hauptkörper eine Öffnung und eine Tür zum Öffnen/Schließen
der Öffnung beinhaltet, wobei die Kartusche umfasst:
eine Speichereinheit (110), die einen Kontaktabschnitt (112) beinhaltet, über den
die Kartusche (100) mit dem Hauptkörper verbunden ist, und mit dem Hauptkörper (1)
verbunden ist, um Informationen der Kartusche (100) an den Hauptkörper (1) zu senden,
wobei der Kontaktabschnitt (112) so konfiguriert ist, dass er in eine erste Position,
in der der Kontaktabschnitt (112) in der Kartusche (100) verborgen ist, und in eine
zweite Position, in der der Kontaktabschnitt (112) aus der Kartusche (100) vorspringt,
bewegbar ist, um mit einem in dem Hauptkörper (1) vorgesehenen Verbindungsabschnitt
(40) verbunden zu werden;
gekennzeichnet durch Umfassen eines Schutzelements (132), das so konfiguriert ist, dass es eine Kollision
zwischen dem Kontaktabschnitt und dem Hauptkörper oder dem Verbindungsabschnitt während
eines Montagevorgangs der Kartusche verhindert, und das so betreibbar ist, dass es,
während der Kontaktabschnitt (112) in die erste oder zweite Position bewegt wird,
in eine in der Kartusche (100) verborgene Rückzugsposition und in eine aus der Kartusche
(100) vorspringende Vorsprungsposition bewegt wird, um in einen Einführabschnitt eingeführt
zu werden, der in dem Hauptkörper (1) vorgesehen ist.
2. Kartusche nach Anspruch 1, wobei das Schutzelement in den Einführabschnitt einführbar
ist, bevor der Kontaktabschnitt mit dem Verbindungsabschnitt verbunden wird, um den
Kontaktabschnitt und den Verbindungsabschnitt auszurichten.
3. Kartusche nach Anspruch 2, wobei ein vorderer Endabschnitt des Schutzelements in einer
Bewegungsrichtung des Kontaktabschnitts weiter als ein vorderer Endabschnitt des Kontaktabschnitts
vorspringt.
4. Kartusche nach Anspruch 3, wobei der Kontaktabschnitt so betreibbar ist, dass er in
einer Längsrichtung der Kartusche bewegt wird, die orthogonal zu einer Montagerichtung
der Kartusche ist,
wobei das Schutzelement in Montagerichtung der Kartusche vor dem Kontaktabschnitt
angeordnet ist.
5. Kartusche nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, ferner umfassend:
ein Bewegungselement, an dem der Kontaktabschnitt montiert ist,
wobei das Bewegungselement in die erste oder die zweite Position bewegbar ist.
6. Kartusche nach Anspruch 5, wobei das Schutzelement einstückig mit dem Bewegungselement
ausgebildet ist.
7. Kartusche nach Anspruch 5, ferner umfassend:
einen Knopf, der mit dem Bewegungselement verbunden ist, um das Bewegungselement zu
bewegen.
8. Kartusche nach Anspruch 7, wobei der Knopf in einer Bewegungsrichtung des Kontaktabschnittes
verschoben wird.
9. Kartusche nach Anspruch 7, wobei der Knopf ein Drehknopf ist.
10. Kartusche nach Anspruch 8 oder 9, ferner umfassend:
einen Griff, der zwischen einer aus der Kartusche vorspringenden Halteposition und
einer Aufnahmeposition, die nahe der Kartusche ist, schwenkbar ist,
wobei der Knopf in Verbindung mit dem Schwenken des Griffs bewegt wird.
11. Kartusche nach Anspruch 5 oder 6, die ferner einen Griff umfasst, der zwischen einer
aus der Kartusche vorspringenden Halteposition und einer ersten Aufnahmeposition,
die nahe der Kartusche ist, geschwenkt wird,
wobei das Bewegungselement in Verbindung mit dem Schwenken des Griffs in die erste
oder die zweite Position bewegt wird.
12. Kartusche nach Anspruch 11, ferner umfassend:
einen Aufnahmeabschnitt, der eingebeult ist, um den in der ersten Aufnahmeposition
befindlichen Griff aufzunehmen; und
eine Umwandlungseinheit, die eine Schwenkbewegung des Griffs in eine Gleitbewegung
des Bewegungselements umwandelt,
wobei der Griff aus der Halteposition in eine zweite Aufnahmeposition verschoben wird,
in der der Griff in dem Aufnahmeabschnitt aufgenommen ist,
wobei eine Schwenkwelle des Griffs mit der Umwandlungseinheit verbunden ist, wenn
sich der Griff in der Halteposition und der ersten Aufnahmeposition befindet, und
wobei, wenn sich der Griff in der zweiten Aufnahmeposition befindet, die Schwenkwelle
des Griffs von der Umwandlungseinheit gelöst ist.
13. Bilderzeugungsvorrichtung, umfassend:
einen Hauptkörper (1); und
eine Kartusche (100) nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei die Kartusche (100)
an dem Hauptkörper (1) angebracht oder von diesem gelöst ist.